Keane spurns Xmas gift

Arsenal consolidated their position at the top of the table and buttressed Arsène Wenger's growing belief that they can win the title for the first time since 2004 by completing the home and away double over the old enemy.

But if the result was fairly predictable, Tottenham will spend Christmas kicking themselves. Spurs, who have not won on their north London rivals' turf since the Premier League's inaugural season in 1993 and have not beaten them anywhere in the past 20 derbies, squandered the chance to end that barren run at the Emirates yesterday when Robbie Keane struck the crossbar when it seemed easier to score, then had a penalty saved by Manuel Almunia. The Irishman should have been their hero. Instead the men of the hour were Nicklas Bendtner who, on as substitute, headed in the winner with his first touch and Almunia, for ending Keane's previously pristine record